


Stone Dragons Concept

by XQueen0fHellx



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26767774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XQueen0fHellx/pseuds/XQueen0fHellx
Summary: Bahamut has the Metallics, Tiamat the Chromatics, and Io is the god of them all. what if there was a race of dragons that had the traits of all of them? Concepting an idea, long outdated, is def getting reworked in the near future.
Kudos: 1





	Stone Dragons Concept

Stone Dragons: Masters of Shapeshifting, Truly Becoming one Another  
Created by: Tina Cloud, whose dragon Talentha was the first to reclaim this title

Dragons have been warring between one another for millennium. The most known war is between Metallics and Chromatics. These two usually try to consider themselves the original races of dragons, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

There was another race created at the same time as them, a long forgotten race that is considered a joke among many dragons, and even other races. This was the race of Stone, and was Io’s equivalent to the Metallics and Chromatics. 

These dragons got their power from the very Earth itself. At least once in their life, a stone dragon has to attend a specific ceremony where they would awaken their true power. Without this ceremony, they are unable to fully learn their shifting power. Many dragons will go through this ceremony multiple times, mostly for the sake of guiding younger dragons through it, and helping each other become more attuned to the others.

The stone dragon’s real power is in becoming another dragon. They have their birth form, usually a chromatic or metallic, but any of the other races are not unheard of. These dragons usually learn what they are after about a hundred years or so, as they start taking on personalities, powers, and even color tints to their scales that is not their birth form. If the parents, mate, siblings, or any other dragon witness some of this happening, there tends to be panic, for in this age, many dragons do not understand, and often the dragon who is showing these traits get attacked and even killed. Even when they were more popular, the stone dragons were rather rare, and kept to themselves. The natural instinct to become who they fully are can be suppressed, hidden, forgotten, and even permanently lost. 

A stone dragon doesn’t just take the appearance of a dragon different of their birth form, but they fully become the other dragon. Because of such differences between the different races of dragons, the stone dragon tend to be neutral. Metallics tend more accepting of their fate, but chromatics usually panic and refuse to accept that they are someone different than what they were born as. But that doesn’t mean this is always the case, it is easy for either of the two to react as the other.

A stone dragon needs help for their first new form. For that they need an anchor, someone of the race they are trying to be. This first form is usually a dragon in the same “set” as them, like another metallic, another gem dragon, and the like. They mentally connect and the one trying to shift concentrates on the other dragon, almost becoming them in mindset. Often thoughts and memories are shared during this process, so the dragons must be willing to accept that anything they know or have witnessed could be shared with the other dragon. The first change is always the hardest, and often painful, physically and mentally. It is very rarely that the dragon obtains the new form on the first try. It is very exhausting, and it can take days for the dragon to fully recover before trying again. 

After fully becoming the other dragon, usually the dragon rests for a full day, sometimes longer, reflecting on the differences and positives of the change. Rarely a dragon realizes that the change was bad for them, and if they do, they become their birth form again and give up the chance to use the powers in their blood. 

The rest of the dragons in the same “set” are usually obtained without another anchor, but to be able to become another “set”, they will need another dragon of that set. Each new “set” will be almost as painful as the first time. Even if it is in the same “set”, it will still be exhausting. The next dragon form obtained can take months, even years to shift into. Usually the dragon will take the time to fully adjust to their new form, powers, and such that come with it. Their body will let them know when they are ready for a new form, usually in the form of a random breath weapon not like the ones they know, or a new tint to their scales. Even if the dragon wants to try another form, they will be unable to obtain it if their body is not ready for it. And the dragon must be mentally capable to withstand the pain that comes with it.

Dragons of lesser power usually only become the dragons in their “set”, or in only a few “sets”, and these are almost always true dragons. True dragons are almost the only ones that have the blood in their veins with the power to awaken the stone dragon blood. Very rarely will a dragon that is a drake, or faerie, or the like have the natural talent, but it does happen. 

Dragons of higher power, more wisdom, and age, are able to fully explore what it means to be a stone dragon. These dragons through much time and patience can learn to obtain the form of any other creature that has “dragon” in the description, although not draconic, golems, ghostly or undead. And especially not a Dracolich. At least not until death (more on that later). This includes Dragonnels, Elemental Drakes, even Planar Dragons. The possibilities are almost endless. 

The more forms the dragon has, the more status is has among the others. These dragons tend to become teachers, help mentor the younger dragons in their new powers, and being strong anchors for them. Only a few dragons noted in history can gain all of the forms, and these are usually the chosen of Io. 

The chosen of Io tend to have the active blood of a stone dragon within them. They are able to conquer the new forms faster, and with less pain. Sometimes through the gift of Io, if no suitable anchor can be found for the first transformation, he will provide one if the subject is willing. 

The ceremony mentioned beforehand is quite unique. It happens once every decade or so, and there is few spots where it can take place. The areas are sacred, no dragon who doesn’t have the awakened stone blood can enter it. Although many dragons, if not all of them, have the blood within them, there will always be some sign of activation when they are ready, and many dragons never will be because their mindsets will not allow that sort of thinking. In fact, many dragons who learn of the stone dragons refuse to accept they exist, or even rage war against them, but Io has granted these sacred spots in safety.

The area is usually deep in the mountains, many caves nearby for resting and for elders to stay. Even if a ceremony is not taking place, dragons who have already obtained their first form can come here for guidance, and teaching from the older dragons that reside here. Sometimes the dragons here are long dead, but their minds still live on.

There is a large, circular, perfectly flat sheet of solid stone, no cracks or dents can be seen. The dragons get into a circle, and they fuel their energy into the rock, and then pull from the pool they created, sharing energy, memories, and power. Dragons who have not yet obtained their first form stand in the middle of the circle, and the power that gets pooled into the stone almost bubbles under their feet, and usually the power of one specific dragon will attach, and that dragon becomes their anchor. The energy is able to decipher who would be the best anchor for them.

Now, these sacred areas have been almost lost to memory, but they are slowly being rediscovered. The cycle of this ceremony has been broken, and there are too few stone dragons now to continue it at the present. Instead, the few stone dragons who know what they are travel, trying to find those who have the power, and try to get now forms for themselves.

When a stone dragon dies, they have a few options. One is that they can be taken to one of the sacred places, and a hole will appear in one of the caves. The dead dragon can be placed in the hole, perhaps with whatever treasure they didn’t have a chance to swallow, and they become fused, becoming stone themselves. The hole covers up, and the dragon can be at peace, passing on right away. Option two is that they can become a statue, their minds still within, able to connect with another dragon’s mind when the right words are spoken. They can faintly feel where the other dragon statues are if they still have their spirits within. They have no fear of ageing, and can relax within the comfort of their own mind. When the dragon decides to pass on, he may, and then it is just a perfect replica statue. The third option is the least common. Not all stone dragons are neutral, and some can be positively evil, only learning their forms to be stronger. These are the dragons that choose to become dracoliches, and the like. In these forms, it is hard, but the dragons may become other dragons as well. As undead, they can learn to be vampiric, skeletal, and the like. The process takes many years, sometimes hundreds, and sometimes by the time they can take a new form, their current body has been too rotten away so to speak.

Dragon prestige classes are not unheard of with the stone dragons. A class carries over to any form the dragon has taken. They still must meet the requirements for that class. If there are any restrictions, such as any evil dragon, the forms the dragon can take are those that are normally evil, and in rare cases can a neutral slip by. Any appearance changes caused by the class, such as the markings of a Hidecarved Dragon, will carry over to each form.

Stone dragons tend to also have decent powers at shapeshifting into other races besides dragons. They are not always masters, but can through time and practice, become dwarves, unicorns, and nagas in more than just appearance. Only the most powerful can fully alter their appearance, having more than one human form for example, looking like two completely different people, even with different fingerprints. These are usually the dragons that have obtained many of the higher forms such as the Planar Dragons.

There are not many books on the subject of Stone Dragons, many have been destroyed over the years by those dragons that do not wish to admit that they exist. Some new books have been discovered though, mysteriously appearing in libraries, all penned by someone named Talentha. 

Should someone read into this author, they will find that she is a dragon, a stone dragon to be precise. The chosen of Io, and the first stone dragon to be awakened in this time. Her children demonstrate some of the powers, but only one is truly like her, Vy. A stone dragon player may encounter them if they have need, but not often. 

Talentha, or Tela for short, has been wandering the world on and off, trying to find those with the gift, and enlighten them, hoping to show them their true nature. She is also searching for dragons to help be an anchor for her. She has found one sacred area, and can bring new stone dragons to it should they wish. She has access to a few stone dragons still in their statues, but very few. She is hoping to find more, and not all will be in the sacred areas. Her own father was slain in combat over the ocean, and his statue lay at the bottom for many years until it was retrieved. 

Tela has a temper, but is a great teacher. She likes to show off, and her experience is impressive. She can take the form of almost every living being there is, which came from her 200 some odd years of being cursed in a non-draconic form. So she learned other animals, and people, and now if she wanted to want into a store as one elf, steal some stuff and become completely another on the street to keep unknown, she could do it. Not that she would. She even can change genders, although it is uncomfortable. She has all of the Chromatic, Metallic, and Gem dragon “sets”, Faerie, Deep, and Shadow forms. She is willing to be an anchor for any of these, and has enough power to fully prevent any sort of memory transfers.

At some point in the role-playing application, Tela will have ascended to Godhood, become the Shifting Goddess of Stone Dragons. Her mate, Ilabode, will be a god of Psionics, and because of that, she might treat a psion in need with a bit of help if she feels he deserves it, besides her own race of course. Io will still be at the head of her, but she will lead his creation, bring them more into the light, and appear in the dreams of those with the potential. After there is more of her race in the world, enough for the ceremonies again, and for a few small colonies, she will lessen up on her activeness in the world, but will still be around if needed. Sometime before ascending to godhood, she will have obtained every dragon form. If a specific form is needed for a certain character, you can assume she has it. She will have the form of every dragon, dragons of past gaming versions, and those of the future as well.

Her avatar, or how she would usually appear to a player if she wasn’t a goddess yet, is a flaming haired elf with skimpy armor, dual weapons (usually quite big) or spells shooting out of her hands (arcane and divine), fiery red eyes, and occasionally faint scales, claws, wings, reptilian legs, and/or tail. Her draconic form is of a Colossal Red Dragon, her eyes ever shifting colors, her scales have specs of different colors, and having features of many of the other dragons flawlessly adding to her beauty. She might also appear as a less wild looking elf, still with red hair, or a normal red, gold, or deep dragon. 

Vy is the splitting image of her mother, a bit more silver to her hair, only a large or huge dragon, looking only a few years younger in humanoid, and has all the dragon forms Tela does, although less power and only a few animals. She cannot hide her memories while being an anchor, but there isn’t really much there except for memories of her other siblings and her mom and dad if the dm wanted to incorporate that particular aspect. She uses very minimal psionic power, decent amount of arcane and divine spells, and she too dual wields weapons.


End file.
